Introduction to managing and organising (1212TEWBDK| 2025)
September 2025 – Januari 2026 (examen /2024)
Studiepunten: 6
Docent Stefanie Weil & Dan Xiang
Study material:
REQUIRED : CLEGG, S. R., PITSIS, T. S. & MOUNT, M. (eds.) 2021. Managing and Organizations, London, UK:
SAGE Publications, Ltd. (6th Edition)
REQUIRED : FERRIS, G. R., PERREWÉ, P. L., ANTHONY, W. P. & GILMORE, D. C. 2000. Political skill at
work. Organizational Dynamics, 28, 25-37 (will become available via the Student Portal).
OPTIONAL : DE BORGER, B., VAN POECK, A., BOUCKAERT, J. & DE GRAEVE, D. 2021. Algemene
economie, Antwerpen Van In (in Dutch, if you don't read Dutch, you can use another introduction to
economics book)
OPTIONAL : HÄNLE, F., WEIL, S. & CAMBRÉ, B. 2022a. China’s OFDI support mechanisms in Germany: how
governments can work together to promote SME internationalization, reduce liability of foreignness and
contribute positively to society. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, ahead-of-print.
OPTIONAL : HÄNLE, F., WEIL, S. & CAMBRÉ, B. 2022b. Chinese SMEs in Germany: an exploratory study on
OFDI motives and the role of China’s institutional environment. Multinational Business Review, 30, 103-
126.
OPTIONAL : MCNALLY, C. 2007. China's Capitalist Transition: The Making of a New Variety of
Capitalism. In: MJØSET, L. & CLAUSEN, T. H. (eds.) Capitalisms Compared (Comparative Social
Research. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
OPTIONAL : PEARCE, J. 2001. Organization and Management in the Embrace of Government, New York,
Psychology Press.
OPTIONAL : RODRIK, D. 2015. Economics Rules: The Rights and Wrongs of The Dismal Science, New York,
W.W. Norton.
OPTIONAL : RODRIK, D. 2018. Straight Talk on Trade Ideas for a Sane World Economy, Princeton University
Press.
Learning outcomes:
Analyzer: You are able to understand and comprehend managing and organizing and all that it entails e.g.
the role of government in managerial decision-making, managing and organization as sensemaking,
trends in digital organizations, the concept of political skills and the influence of national cultures on
organizations.
Analyzer: You are able to identify the impact that changes in the contemporary world are having on
managing and organization and grasp the managerial rationalities that constitute much contemporary
managing and organization.
Coordinator: You are able to transfer and apply knowledge of management theories and investment in a
globalized set-up.
Strategist: You can critically reflect upon the concepts around managing and organizing and understand
the role of constructivism.
Course contents:
This course covers the fundamentals of management, organizing and organizations. We will address the basic
concepts related to organizational behavior. We will explore themes around managing people in organizations
and reflect on the institutions and practices of business life. In this course we aim to provide you with the
tools to not only understand managing, organizing and organizations but to also be able to critically reflect
upon these issues.
The organization is the primary economic unit and the decisions made at the firm level influence the broader
environment and vicIn this course, you will learn about organizational behavior and how management
decisions can influence and be driven by the (global) economy. You will explore how economic concepts such
as supply and demand, transaction costs and principal-agent are also relevant for understanding the
fundamentals of management, organizing & organization.
,The course is structured along the lines of the textbook. On top of this, you will be provided with additional
reading and practical case studies. Our aim is to critically reflect about multiple aspects of management.
Maybe you like to challenge management theories, investment practices and the role of the manager? Great!
We will invite you to open your minds to some constructivist aspects of management with us.
Assessment method:
Written examination without oral presentation, closed book, multiple-choice, open-question. You will have
to answer multiple choice questions and 1 short essay question. In the essay question you will be asked
to critically reflect on a managerial topic.
Portfolio (in group) 20%.
o The group will have to produce a 500 words summary reflection per lecture.
o For this, you can rely on the readings, lecture slides, the guiding questions and your notes.
o One purpose of this assignment is to reflect together in a group.
o In addition to the 500 words summary per lecture, the portfolio should also include one overall
conclusion where you compile all your short reflections into one text. This summary should not extent
1500 words. This means in order to compile the long summary you will have to reflect together in the
group about the most important course take-aways.
o
, Table of Contents
1. Managing & Organizations – Opening, Thinking, Contextualizing lesson 1&2....................................1
What is managerialism?.....................................................................................................................1
What does sensemaking mean?.........................................................................................................1
Framing...............................................................................................................................................2
Managerial rationality versus managerialism.....................................................................................2
Changing paradigms – The digital age................................................................................................2
Organizational Culture and Social Relations at Work.........................................................................3
Digital Bubbles, Social Media & Emotions..........................................................................................3
Global shifts........................................................................................................................................3
What role does globalization and the economic context play in a managing company?...................4
Guiding questions...............................................................................................................................5
2. Managing Power, Politics (& political skill) and Decision-making (lesson 3 & 7)................................6
Organizational politics........................................................................................................................6
Political skills.......................................................................................................................................6
Bureaucracy and boundaries at work.................................................................................................8
Power and Resistance.........................................................................................................................8
Underlying aspects of Organizational Power......................................................................................8
Empowerment, experiments, emancipation, ethics...........................................................................9
3. Power politics and NATO (lesson 4)..................................................................................................10
Introduction......................................................................................................................................10
Levels of conflict...............................................................................................................................10
Shifting views and theories of conflict..............................................................................................11
Practical Lessons...............................................................................................................................11
4. Managing Organizational design (lesson 5)......................................................................................12
Organizational design.......................................................................................................................12
Early Modern Approaches to Management......................................................................................12
Contemporary approaches...............................................................................................................13
Modern approaches.........................................................................................................................13
Key Difference: Early Modern vs Modern Designs (Guiding question).............................................14
5. Management in a globalized world (lesson 6)..................................................................................14
Globalization.....................................................................................................................................14
6. Managing individuals (lesson 8)........................................................................................................16
PART I – Personality, Abilities & Learning.........................................................................................16
PART II – Motivation & Job Performance..........................................................................................17
7. Managing Teams and Groups (lesson 9)...........................................................................................19
Group dynamics................................................................................................................................19
Decision making................................................................................................................................19
Team conflict....................................................................................................................................20
Negotiation.......................................................................................................................................20
8. Managing Diversity...........................................................................................................................21
Organizational Culture......................................................................................................................21
Leadership........................................................................................................................................22
Part II: Managing Diversity in Organizations.....................................................................................22
9. What is the overall connection between everything?......................................................................23
September 2025 – Januari 2026 (examen /2024)
Studiepunten: 6
Docent Stefanie Weil & Dan Xiang
Study material:
REQUIRED : CLEGG, S. R., PITSIS, T. S. & MOUNT, M. (eds.) 2021. Managing and Organizations, London, UK:
SAGE Publications, Ltd. (6th Edition)
REQUIRED : FERRIS, G. R., PERREWÉ, P. L., ANTHONY, W. P. & GILMORE, D. C. 2000. Political skill at
work. Organizational Dynamics, 28, 25-37 (will become available via the Student Portal).
OPTIONAL : DE BORGER, B., VAN POECK, A., BOUCKAERT, J. & DE GRAEVE, D. 2021. Algemene
economie, Antwerpen Van In (in Dutch, if you don't read Dutch, you can use another introduction to
economics book)
OPTIONAL : HÄNLE, F., WEIL, S. & CAMBRÉ, B. 2022a. China’s OFDI support mechanisms in Germany: how
governments can work together to promote SME internationalization, reduce liability of foreignness and
contribute positively to society. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, ahead-of-print.
OPTIONAL : HÄNLE, F., WEIL, S. & CAMBRÉ, B. 2022b. Chinese SMEs in Germany: an exploratory study on
OFDI motives and the role of China’s institutional environment. Multinational Business Review, 30, 103-
126.
OPTIONAL : MCNALLY, C. 2007. China's Capitalist Transition: The Making of a New Variety of
Capitalism. In: MJØSET, L. & CLAUSEN, T. H. (eds.) Capitalisms Compared (Comparative Social
Research. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
OPTIONAL : PEARCE, J. 2001. Organization and Management in the Embrace of Government, New York,
Psychology Press.
OPTIONAL : RODRIK, D. 2015. Economics Rules: The Rights and Wrongs of The Dismal Science, New York,
W.W. Norton.
OPTIONAL : RODRIK, D. 2018. Straight Talk on Trade Ideas for a Sane World Economy, Princeton University
Press.
Learning outcomes:
Analyzer: You are able to understand and comprehend managing and organizing and all that it entails e.g.
the role of government in managerial decision-making, managing and organization as sensemaking,
trends in digital organizations, the concept of political skills and the influence of national cultures on
organizations.
Analyzer: You are able to identify the impact that changes in the contemporary world are having on
managing and organization and grasp the managerial rationalities that constitute much contemporary
managing and organization.
Coordinator: You are able to transfer and apply knowledge of management theories and investment in a
globalized set-up.
Strategist: You can critically reflect upon the concepts around managing and organizing and understand
the role of constructivism.
Course contents:
This course covers the fundamentals of management, organizing and organizations. We will address the basic
concepts related to organizational behavior. We will explore themes around managing people in organizations
and reflect on the institutions and practices of business life. In this course we aim to provide you with the
tools to not only understand managing, organizing and organizations but to also be able to critically reflect
upon these issues.
The organization is the primary economic unit and the decisions made at the firm level influence the broader
environment and vicIn this course, you will learn about organizational behavior and how management
decisions can influence and be driven by the (global) economy. You will explore how economic concepts such
as supply and demand, transaction costs and principal-agent are also relevant for understanding the
fundamentals of management, organizing & organization.
,The course is structured along the lines of the textbook. On top of this, you will be provided with additional
reading and practical case studies. Our aim is to critically reflect about multiple aspects of management.
Maybe you like to challenge management theories, investment practices and the role of the manager? Great!
We will invite you to open your minds to some constructivist aspects of management with us.
Assessment method:
Written examination without oral presentation, closed book, multiple-choice, open-question. You will have
to answer multiple choice questions and 1 short essay question. In the essay question you will be asked
to critically reflect on a managerial topic.
Portfolio (in group) 20%.
o The group will have to produce a 500 words summary reflection per lecture.
o For this, you can rely on the readings, lecture slides, the guiding questions and your notes.
o One purpose of this assignment is to reflect together in a group.
o In addition to the 500 words summary per lecture, the portfolio should also include one overall
conclusion where you compile all your short reflections into one text. This summary should not extent
1500 words. This means in order to compile the long summary you will have to reflect together in the
group about the most important course take-aways.
o
, Table of Contents
1. Managing & Organizations – Opening, Thinking, Contextualizing lesson 1&2....................................1
What is managerialism?.....................................................................................................................1
What does sensemaking mean?.........................................................................................................1
Framing...............................................................................................................................................2
Managerial rationality versus managerialism.....................................................................................2
Changing paradigms – The digital age................................................................................................2
Organizational Culture and Social Relations at Work.........................................................................3
Digital Bubbles, Social Media & Emotions..........................................................................................3
Global shifts........................................................................................................................................3
What role does globalization and the economic context play in a managing company?...................4
Guiding questions...............................................................................................................................5
2. Managing Power, Politics (& political skill) and Decision-making (lesson 3 & 7)................................6
Organizational politics........................................................................................................................6
Political skills.......................................................................................................................................6
Bureaucracy and boundaries at work.................................................................................................8
Power and Resistance.........................................................................................................................8
Underlying aspects of Organizational Power......................................................................................8
Empowerment, experiments, emancipation, ethics...........................................................................9
3. Power politics and NATO (lesson 4)..................................................................................................10
Introduction......................................................................................................................................10
Levels of conflict...............................................................................................................................10
Shifting views and theories of conflict..............................................................................................11
Practical Lessons...............................................................................................................................11
4. Managing Organizational design (lesson 5)......................................................................................12
Organizational design.......................................................................................................................12
Early Modern Approaches to Management......................................................................................12
Contemporary approaches...............................................................................................................13
Modern approaches.........................................................................................................................13
Key Difference: Early Modern vs Modern Designs (Guiding question).............................................14
5. Management in a globalized world (lesson 6)..................................................................................14
Globalization.....................................................................................................................................14
6. Managing individuals (lesson 8)........................................................................................................16
PART I – Personality, Abilities & Learning.........................................................................................16
PART II – Motivation & Job Performance..........................................................................................17
7. Managing Teams and Groups (lesson 9)...........................................................................................19
Group dynamics................................................................................................................................19
Decision making................................................................................................................................19
Team conflict....................................................................................................................................20
Negotiation.......................................................................................................................................20
8. Managing Diversity...........................................................................................................................21
Organizational Culture......................................................................................................................21
Leadership........................................................................................................................................22
Part II: Managing Diversity in Organizations.....................................................................................22
9. What is the overall connection between everything?......................................................................23
